Self-cleaning spark-plug.



UG, 1% APPLICATION FILED APR. 30;1918.

Patented Mar, 11,1919.

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UNITED s'rarns PATENT enrich.

JOEL BARKER, or IRVINE, KENTUEKY.

SELF-OLEANIIIG' SEABK-FIAUG.

Specification of ieiltcrs Eats-zit.

Patentgl Mar. 11, 1919.

Application filed April 30, 1918. Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOEL BARKER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing atthe piston in the adjacent cylinder of an engine to prevent the accumulation of soot or carbon on the casing and the stem of the spark plug and thus avoid a premature fir- 'ing or back-firing. of gases in the cylinder of the engine.

As an equally important object the present invention contemplates the provision of a spark plug wherein a cleaning element of a novel construction is mounted for reciprocatory movement in the casing of the spark plug and actuates in timed relation with the operation of the piston in the adjacent engine cylinder to assure of a complete exhausting of burnt gases from the casing of the spark plug and also of the accumulation of fresh gases near the sparking points of the spark plug so that the fresh gases may be readily and quickly fired at the proper time.

More particularly the present invention embraces the provision of a cleaning element in the form of a piston slidably mountedon the stem of a spark plug and designed to receive packing rings to assure of an air tight engagement between the element and the casing and between the element and the m. Among the other aims and objects of this invention may be recited the provision of a device of the character described with a view to compactness, and in which the number of parts are few, the construction simple and the cost of production low and the eiiiciency high.

Other improvements and novel details in the construction and arrangement of-the various Parts of the apparatus will be brought out more in detail in the description to follow, which for a clear understanding of the invention should be considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and wherein is disclosed for the purpose of illustration a convenient and satisfacto'ry embodiment of the invention. It

is to be potediin this connection that minor changes" may 'be made without departing from the principle of operation of the va rious parts. v

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the invention showing the cleaning element in a raised position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the clean ing element in a lowered position. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line H of'Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference are em-- ployed in all of the above described Yiews, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now, more particularly, to the accompanying drawings, there is provided a spark plug consisting of a cylindrical casing 1 the outer surface thereof near the lower end being tapered and threaded as at 2 for engagement with the top of an engine cyl-' inder while the upper edge is inclined downwardly from the outer surface to the inner surface as at 3 for a purpose that will be-- An annular shoulder 4 is;

come apparent. formed on the inner surface of the casing near the lower edge thereof for a purpose that'will hereinafter become apparent and likewise the casing is provided medially its ends with small openings 5. Fitted within the upper'end of the casing is an insulating element 6 formed preferably of porcclain and being designed to support a pole or wire 7, the lower end of which constitutes one of the sparking points. This insulated element consists of a body 9 which is reduced as at 10 to form an inclined shoulder 11 which seats against the upper inclined edge 30f the casing while the lower reduced portion 10 of the body is arranged in close relation with the inner surface of the casing. The lower portion of the body .8 is again reduced to form a shoulder 12 so that the intermediate lower reduced portion will be arranged in spaced relation to the inner surface of the casing so that'ainmay pass thnmgh the openings 5 and be exhaustalum ed through the openings in a manner that i'nay herer become apparent. ll 13 is integral with the intermediate lower end of the body and depends therefrom, v also (.csigncd to support the lower portion. of the wire '7. It. binding post 14 formed on the upper portion of the body while the upper edge of the body is in.- clincd' at 15 fronithe post to the outer edge of the body as indicated in the draw ings. A head idicated in its entirety by the numeral 16 is now employed and is preii rahly in the form of a nut, the upper portion being of frusto-conical form as 1? and formed with an opening 18 which is arranged about the post 1-1- to permit the frusto-conical portion to seat against the inclined upper edge of the body. The inner surface of the l wer portion of the head is formed with threads 19 for engagement with a correspondingly formed outer surface of the casing. The outer surface of the head is of a hexagonal form as indicated by the numeral 20 so as to be readily engaged by a wrench to assure of the adjusting of the head on the casing" and consequent clamping of the insulating element in a proper position. oping nut 21 is adjustahly v per portion. of the pole i, ate the itlIlQiIlg of a conducting: wire {not shown} thereto. Ano'nier sparking point extends from the lower edge of the casingand terminates near the lower sparkingpoint '7.

intimated, improved means have been provided for assuring of the cleaning of the spars plug so as to prevent accumulation of soot and gases on the casing; and pole and also mus-ting any liurnt gases from the casing of the spark plug during the operation of engine in which the spark. plug is mounted. in reducing this feature of the invention to practice an improved cleanin element 23 is employed and is preterably in the form of a piston which is pro ided with center opening for slidsble engagement with the stem while the o ter periphery thercoi is formed with an fular groove 25 in which is accommodated packing ring" for assuring of an air tight engagement between the piston head and the casing to prevent air passing by the piston head and entering the lmfvor portion of the spark plugcasingz. The head is Formed with a collar 27 which depends from the lower edge thereof about the opening 24 therein,' while the outer surface of the collar is threaded as at 28. A relatively small packing ring 29 is now arranged about the stern and held in close relation with. the lower edge oi the collar h a. tubular jam nut 30 which assures oi the movement or" the small ring; 29 with the head. lhe upward uiovei'ncnt of the piston shaped cleaning clement 23 is limited by the lower emons reduced portion of the insulating element while the downward movement is limited by the annular shoulder i.

in use, assuming tnat the device has been. assembled in the manner described and as illustrated in the drawings, upon the intake stroke of a piston oi? an engine (not shown) the suction in the W inder serves to direct the piston shaped cleaning element 28 down wardly in the casin 1, the downward movement being limited by the shoulder 4. T his action of the piston shaped cleaning clement serves to exhaust any burnt gases from within the spark plug casing and also prevents the accui'nulation of carbon. or soot on the inner surface of the casing and on the stem 13. in the compression stroke the pressure of the gases in the cylinder of the engine (not shown) acts againstthe piston shaped cleaning element and forces the latter upwardly until .it abuts the lower edge of the reduced portion 12 of the insulating element. *Of course, air which has previously been admitted in the upper portion of the casing in the holes or openings 5 is exhausted through these openings during the upward movement of the cleaning element. li'iasinuch as fresh gases are allowed to congregate about the sparking points an effective firing of these gases on the firing stroke or pressure of the gases acts to hold the piston shaped cleaning element in its upward position and, 01'? course, on the exhaust or admission stroke the piston shaped clcaning ElGHlQDl/ is held in a raised position. This operation of parts is repeated during each continued operation of the engine. in some instances the accumulation of the carbon or soot on the casing and stern of the spark plug causes the back firing or the premature firing of the gases within the cylinder of the engine (not shown It to he appreciated,.however, that this is ohviated by the improved cleaning element which operates simultaneously with the op,- erationof the engine.

it is believed. in view of the foregoing description of the invention that a further detailed description of the operation of the invention is'entirel v unnecessary. Likewise it is lJGllCVQCl that the advantages of the invcntion will be readily apparent.

is many cha 'es could he made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments 01 this iuvcntion could be made without departing from the scope thereof it is intended that all mattor contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense. it also to he understood that the language used in the following claim is intend 5 to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statement of the scope of churzwter described com 1* g a cylindrical casing designed X01 at'tuchximeut to the 0x31116181 of an micrnui rmum 011 engine and formed Wlt-h an m- ]e-i; and mi'nust spellings, an annular shoul- (hu' 'i'mrnwd 0n the Enumsurfuce of the cusjw new; the hswcl' 'edga therqaf, a pole supr ;iu; body formed of insuinting nmterial ino'untd 0n the upper edge 01? the casing a p010, supg mmiu stem integral with the insuaaz-osa lating body and depanghng therefrom, a piss ton shaped cleaning element slidably mount-- ed on the stem and limit-ed in its upward. movement by the lows:- edge of the body anal its 'dawnward znovemenbhy the shoulder a making ri g mounted on tha outer surface of the piston shaped cleaning element, acollzudepending from the element, pack ing Ling associated with the 0011211 and hearing against the stem. and a tubular um nub conuecteu no the coll-4r for supportil'zg the lust mentioned ring.

In tesstimony whereof 1 L113 my sigxmture.

JOEL BARKER. 

